Cleveland Museum of Art

Shrine Figure (misi or mishi)

Date

late 1800s-early 1900s

Medium

Wood and cotton

Culture

Africa, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, pre-Bembe style or Boyo-style maker

Department

African Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This figure was used in an ancestral cult dedicated to the founders of small political groupings. Such figures were usually kept in the same shrine with a number of stylistically related male and female carvings that represented ancestors. At times of crisis, the custodian of the shrine spent the night in close proximity to the images, bringing offerings to the ancestors in exchange for their support.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.